Patent GB-941981-A (GB)
Title: Ester waxes and process for their manufacture
IPC: C09G1/08
Filed: 1959-11-25
Abstract: The invention comprises wax-like esters of mixtures of aliphatic carboxylic acids as hereinafter defined with one or more hydroxyalkylation products of pentaerythritol and/or trimethylol propane or with a mixture of one or more such products and a di-or polyhydric alcohol in which the hydroxyl groups are aliphatically bound, the esters being substantially free from free hydroxyl groups. The mixtures of acids are those of acids containing at least 12 carbon atoms and obtained by bleaching montan wax alone or with air-oxidation products of paraffins by means of chromic acid and mixtures of these montan wax acids together with acids obtained by the cracking and subsequent air oxidation of low pressure polyethylene.  The mixtures may also contain lauric, oleic or stearic acid.  The hydroxyalkylation products which contain at least two carbon atoms in their alkoxy groups may be prepared by reacting the pentaerythritol or trimethylol propane with an alkylene chlorohydrin in the presence of alkali or with an alkylene oxide preferably containing 2-4 carbon atoms or a mixture of such oxides. One hydroxyl group only need be hydroxyalkylated but if desired one, two or three molar proportions of alkylene oxide per hydroxyl group may be used. The hydroxyalkylation products may be esterified in admixture with such di-or polyhydric alcohols as typically glycol, propylene glycol, hexane diol, glycerol, sorbitol, decane diol and di- or polymethylol compounds of aromatic hydrocarbons (cf. Specification 880,710).  The carboxylic acids may be used as such or in the form of their acid halides or anhydrides. The esterification may be effected at below 150 DEG C. Towards the end of the esterification or thereafter, any free carboxyl groups present may be partially neutralised by addition of a metal salt, oxide or hydroxide and a metal salt of a C12 or higher aliphatic carboxylic acid may be added. The products may be used in polish emulsions. In the examples:  (1) montan wax admixed with air oxidised solid paraffin is oxidised with chrom-sulphuric and the product (acid no. 112) is esterified with the reaction product of pentaerythritol and 2 molar proportions of ethylene oxide; (2) chromic acid oxidised montan wax (acid no. 137) is esterified with a mixture of ethylene glycol and the reaction product of trimethylol propane and 1 mole of ethylene oxide; (3) the oxidised wax of (2) is esterified with the reaction product of pentaerythritol and one mole of ethylene oxide and then heated with a low pressure polyethylene, cracked and oxidised to acid value 12; (4) oxidised montan wax is esterified with the reaction product of pentaerythritol and 4 moles of ethylene oxide and the product reacted with CaO; (5) oxidised montan wax is esterified with the reaction product of pentaerythritol and 3 moles of propylene oxide. ALSO:Wax polishes comprise esters, substantially free from free hydroxyl groups, of mixtures of aliphatic carboxylic acids as hereinafter defined with one or more hydroxy alkylation products of pentaerythritol and/or trimethylol propane or with a mixture of one or more such products and a di- or poly-hydric alcohol. The carboxylic acids are mixtures of acids containing at least 12 carbon atoms and obtained by bleaching montan wax alone or with air-oxidation products of paraffins by means of chromic acid and mixtures of these montan wax acids together with acids obtained by the cracking and subsequent air-oxidation of low-pressure polyethylene. The mixtures of acids may also contain lauric, oleic or stearic acid. The hydroxyalkylation products include those in which only one hydroxyl group has been hydroxyalkylated or where each hydroxyl group has been reacted with 1-3 moles of an alkylene oxide, e.g. ethylene, propylene or butylene oxide or a mixture thereof. The alcohols other than the hydroxylation products may be inter alia ethylene or propylene glycol, glycerol, hexane-diol, sorbitol, decane diol and di- and poly-methylol compounds of aromatic hydrocarbons (cf. Specification 880,710).  Residual acidity in the esters may be reduced by means of a metal oxide, hydroxide or salt, e.g. zinc or barium acetate, calcium oxide or lithium hydroxide and there may be added metal salts of C12 or higher aliphatic carboxylic acids, e.g. aluminium stearate or magnesium behenate.  The wax may be in emulsion form.  In typical examples: (1) a reaction product of pentaerythritol and 2 moles of ethylene oxide is esterified by acids obtained by reacting a mixture of montan wax and air-oxidized solid paraffins with chrom-sulphuric; (3) oxidized montan wax is esterified with monohydroxyethylated pentaerythritol and the product further reacted with low-pressure polyethylene cracked and oxidized to acid No. 12.